Your car’s starter is the engine’s Mini-Me. The starter is a tiny motor that gets the motor running. Your vehicle cannot start without an operating starter, which is why Boulevard Auto Repair is going to list the signs of a bad starter below. This helps you identify a problem with the starter before it gets so bad that you are stranded with a dead engine.
Clicking Sounds
Perhaps the most well-known sign of a bad starter is clicking sounds when you turn the key in the ignition or press your vehicle’s start button. Don’t count on this sound as your only sign, however. Your vehicle’s starter can die without ever making that infamous clicking noise. If you do hear clicking while trying to start your automobile, however, this definitely points to the starter as the problem.
Working Lights/Dead Engine
Another sign that your starter is going bad is if you have a dead engine but your headlights work. If your headlights, taillights, and interior lights all turn on even though you can’t get your car, truck, or utility vehicle started, this suggests the problem is not electrical. Your battery and alternator are working. Rather, you cannot start your car because you have a dead starter.
Ineffective Jumpstart
Another sign that the starter has died is if your vehicle will not respond to a jumpstart. Again, if the problem were the battery, you should be able to get it started with the jumpstart. If the engine refuses to crank and start running even with the jumpstart, it’s reasonable to believe that the starter motor is not working and this is why your vehicle won’t start.
Engine Smoke
The more you attempt to start your automobile the hotter the starter motor will become. If you see smoke coming out from underneath the hood, you’ve overheated the starter motor and it is getting the rest of the engine too hot. You may smell the heat before you see the smoke. Either way, stop trying to start your automobile because you are overheating the starter motor.
Oily Starter
Finally, there is one way your starter can die that isn’t directly related to it. The starter is located underneath the left cylinder bank. If your starter isn’t working because the cylinders are leaking oil all over it, this will cause premature starter death. Not only will you need to replace your vehicle’s starter, but you will also need to repair or replace the cylinder bank.
Boulevard Auto Repair in Sherman Oaks, CA, can help. Schedule a service appointment today if you believe your vehicle’s starter is dying.
